1984 Chevy C10 - What Dreams May Come

Throughout our lives we are forced time and time again to make decisions crucial to our everyday existence. These decisions can range anywhere from major issues, such as relationship solutions or business investments to insignificant dilemmas like what's for dinner or how to rid the world of ridiculous catch phrases such as "buh-bye" or "peace out." Although every scenario varies in both rewards and consequences, we simply apply our best judgment and hope for the best.

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In the case of business decisions, we all anxiously await the day for one of our questionable investments to finally pay off, much like the man who ingeniously decided to sell rocks to kids and call them Pet Rocks-who now laughs at us from his multiple million dollar mansions. For Scott Doane, of Lubbock, Texas, his questionable investment came in the form of an '84 Chevrolet C10. Like most, Scott's business strategy was simple, to build his dream truck and reap the benefits. Although Scott intended to build the perfect truck he began with one that was far from it. Scott's C10 was purchased from his cousin for a lump sum of $350, and as imagined, he got exactly what he paid for.

Shortly after purchasing the '84 Scott realized he was going to have to start from scratch, therefore he stripped the Chevy to bare bones. Once the truck was stripped he decided to bring in some outside help from the boys at Hill's Hot Rods, to assist in the reconstruction. The first order of business was the chassis. Since Scott's vision consisted of a truck much closer to the pavement than most, a C-notch needed to be cut in the rear of the frame. Instead of sticking with the factory leaf springs a four-link was installed with Air Ride Technology airbags. Next, Hill's removed the stock C10 frontend and replaced it with a front clip from a '91 Chevy Suburban. To match what was done out back, Scott elected to forgo the typical 2-inch drop spindle up front, and upgraded to 3-inch drop spindles, from DJM, with airbags as well. To accommodate the newly modified suspension the front crossmember was trimmed and re-mounted to the chassis. For the motor and transmission Scott stuck with the stock Chevy 350 with a 700-R4 that was pulled from the donor '91 Suburban.

Once the frame was complete, it was time to go to work on the body. Scott decided that the only original part of the body capable of salvaging was the cab. Before Scott could achieve his desired body modifications he needed to revive the old girl. The stock fenders, doors, and core support were all replaced with those of a '91 Suburban. The bed was completely rebuilt with aftermarket parts from LMC. Once the body was reconstructed Scott decided it was time for a facelift. The driprails, door handles, and tailgate were all shaved clean and a bridge was also cut in the bed floor to make way for the modified frame. Next, Hill's installed '91 Suburban bumpers in the front and back, and custom fabricated taillights were flush mounted in the rear. After the bodywork was complete, Scott's next challenge was bringing in the perfect paint and wheel combination. He elected to spray the Chevy with an Auto Air Colors custom two-tone silver-and-blue paint scheme. To complement paint he slapped on a set of Bonspeed Crokus wheels, 20's up front and 22's out back, encased in BFGoodrich rubber.

Scott's next major decision was how to create an interior that could hold its own against the new-and-improved exterior. He decided to stick with the clean-shaven look displayed outside and shaved much of the interior's workings, including door handles. The A/C controls and window switches were then tucked away, and custom door and kick panels were fabricated as well. Bucket seats from a '91 Suburban were installed, but not before they were cut down. Between the seats lays a custom floating center console that houses the audio controls. The entire insides were then wrapped in two-tone gray Katzkin leather. Next, a custom-made Auto Meter gauge cluster was installed by Hill's Hot Rods, along with a B.A.D. Crokus billet aluminum and blue custom steering wheel. In the end, Scott was left with the truck he always dreamed of, and in the process proved yet again, that when it comes to classic trucks there is no such thing as a bad investment.